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Monaco’s Princess Stephanie spent the past three days in South Africa on behalf of UNAIDS and Fight AIDS Monaco. She arrived on Wednesday and got down to business on the following day.
 N. Saussier/FAM/PodcastJournal.net Stephanie first had a meeting with NGO officials before moving on to the Research Unit on Reproductive Health at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. The center follows the latest medical breakthroughs on the virus and gives free treatment to those who are HIV positive.
That afternoon, the Princess went to Alexandra township to visit an NGO “Friends for Life” which helps vulnerable and orphaned children as a result of the pandemic. The NGO cares for hundreds of local children a day.
On Friday, Princess Stephanie moved on to Soweto to check out another NGO, “PUSH” (Persevere Until Something Happens). This one also helps children orphaned by AIDS, as well as providing tests for HIV, STIs and TB. It also gives psychological help and ARV treatment.
Later on, the Princess met with Graca Michel, the wife of Nelson Mandela. It does not appear that she met with Mandela himself.
At the end of her visit, Stephanie met with Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS and reported to him about her visit.
Stephanie has been a UN Goodwill Ambassador for UNAIDS since 2006.
South Africa has one of the highest HIV populations in the world. Out of 49 million people, 5.2 million are infected. The new government under President Jacob Zuma is dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS by providing the largest distribution of ARV treatment and millions of condoms.
 Terje Pedersen/ ANB December 1st is the day known as World AIDS DAY. It is when the world remembers those who are infected, or have died from the illness. Among those who stopped to commemorate were two European Princesses who have dedicated their time to the cause.
The first was Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway. A special representative of UNAIDS, she spent the day at Romsas Frivillighetssentral in Oslo, where the Princess met with the 40 volunteers helping out at the center. Earlier, she posted a statement on the Norwegian Royal House’s website about the importance of young people getting involved in helping those who are HIV-positive.
“To stop AIDS, youth-led action must be facilitated,” the statement goes. “We need the engagement of youth to move forward in the response. There are several reasons for that: We cannot afford to lose the focus on AIDS now when we have come so far. Over the last six years, the number of people who have access to treatment in low income countries has increased from 400 000 to 4 million. We need renewed engagement to keep up the good efforts.”
Also doing her part on World AIDS Day was Monaco’s Princess Stephanie. As president of Fight AIDS Monaco, Stephanie attended an auction at the Sea Club Meridien hotel. There, she participated in an auction charity sale to raise money for her foundation. One of the items auctioned was a photo of her mother, the late Princess Grace, in the film To Catch A Thief.
On Friday, Princess Stephanie was busy tackling the HIV/AIDS issue in her principality of Monaco. As the founder of Fight AIDS Monaco, it is her duty to attend the organization’s events – be it a press conference or a gala.
 - Getty Images
First, the Princess was present for a press conference in the early part of the day. Along with Marc Toesca and Laurent Petitguillaume, Stephanie spoke to the press about the evening’s concert/dinner.
For the event, Princess Stephanie was dressed glamorously as she arrived with her brother, Prince Albert II and his girlfriend, Charlene Wittstock at the Sporting Club of Monaco.
For the gala, Stephanie arranged for such music artists as Luna Parker, Peter & Sloane, Eric Morena, Jakie Quartz and Thierry Pastor, all whom were from the Party Rfm 2009 tour that is running through Europe right now.
In order to attend the event, each person had to pay 160 Euros. It is likely those proceeds were donated to Fight AIDS Monaco.
Since its inception in 2004, Fight AIDS Monaco has helped raise money, and be a source of support for HIV-positive people and their families, not only in Monaco and France, but also in AIDS-ravaged countries as Burundi and Madagascar.
These past two days had Norway’s Crown Princely couple help host the AIDS Conference Young Leaders Summit II. Crown Prince Haakon and Mette-Marit were on hand to welcome the 28 youth leaders to Oslo in order to discuss the AIDS  discrimination and prevention.
First, the royal duo attended a reception with Oslo mayor Fabian Stang Tuesday morning. They then later spoke with the youth leaders about fighting HIV and the stigma surrounding the disease.
In a speech Crown Princess Mette-Marit spoke of the importance of young leadership in the AIDS effort for the future:
“There has been great progress in AIDS work during the first 25 years. But we have, as you all know, still a long way to go. And we need you to show us the way.”
Later Tuesday evening, Haakon and Mette-Marit attended an open air concert.
Wednesday saw the couple host another reception aboard the royal yacht for the leaders. Mette-Marit’s son, Marius Borg Hoiby, also came along.
The Crown Princely couple have been active in the HIV/AIDS fight. In 2006, the Crown Princess was named Special Representative of UNAIDS. Her work has taken her to such places as Canada and Nicaragua.
Aids2031 has a YouTube channel about the event. If you want to see Crown Princess Mette-Marit interact with some of the youth leaders, click here
Friday saw Monaco’s Princess Stephanie right outside of her principality, in France’s Provencal countryside, where she helped build a house for those suffering from HIV/AIDS. 
The house, known was the House of Life, is for HIV sufferers to spend a couple of weeks resting and finding peace.
As President of Fight AIDS Monaco, the Princess has kept this project at arm’s length for about three years now. Once this house completed, she will be its director.
Designed by architects Fabrice Notari of Monaco and Ysabelle Roustan of France, the House of Life will have 28 beds, a patio connecting the two buildings, kitchenettes, a dormitory, plus a wing for offices and technicians. And yes, the House will be environmentally friendly, with wall insulation, solar panels and a heat pump.
In addition, there will be room for a lounge, dining hall, a gym and a theater.
The House of Life will be completed on June 21, 2010.
The Grand Duchess of Luxembourg attended the National Committees of UNICEF at its 54th annual meeting. With representatives of 36 nations in attendance, UNICEF-Luxembourg proudly celebrated its 30th year.
 monarchie.lu Maria Teresa brought attention to UNICEF’s work, especially in the field of HIV/AIDS, which the Grand Duchess works tirelessly for. She made an emphasis of that in her speech.
“Although so much has been done, it is essential to remain focused on the challenges ahead: one of them is the HIV pandemic as unfortunately the numbers are not decreasing.
“According to UNAIDS most recent report 2007, an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV. During that same year, 2.7 million new HIV infections were recorded.
“Although people from all walks of life are affected, HIV/AIDS is hitting hard at the most vulnerable sections of our society: it is the poor, the illiterate, the marginalized, especially women and children who bear most of the burden of the HIV pandemic. Mothers and children are being ‘infected’ or ‘affected’ by the AIDS virus in greater and greater numbers, every single day. Their situation is dramatic as a mother with HIV will not give up the responsibility of caring for her children easily.”
Maria Teresa talked about her role as UNICEF’s Eminent Advocate for Children in 2007, in which she chose to focus on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and child soldiers. She explained how the two coincide.
“We all have to protect these children, as they are easy preys and victims of child abuse and exploitation through the horror of prostitution, children hard labor, enrolment into guerilla armies as child soldiers, where all too often the girls enrolled are used as sex-slaves.
“So what can we do?
“UNICEF is working with communities that provide an environment where children and their families are supported and protected, and where their rights are respected. It is my firm belief that without this community involvement there is little prospect that the programs can produce any tangible results. Strengthened social protection is needed to ensure that those affected by HIV can access services. Social welfare ministries, who are often mandated to provide support to children and families, have inadequate human, financial, and institutional capacity and also limited influence over government priorities and budgets, especially at local levels.”
Following her speech, the Grand Duchess attended the Castle Vianden official dinner for the 54th Annual Meeting of National Committees for UNICEF.
Monaco’s two royal sisters joined force together to sign an agreement to help the children of Burundi. 
As Presidents of AMADE and Fight AIDS Monaco separetely, Princesses Caroline and Stephanie signed to renew the 2008 agreement which vows to fight against poverty, help orphans and people who are suffering from HIV in the central African nation.
AMADE (Association Mondiale des Amis de l’Enfants) was set up originally by the sisters’ mother, Princess Grace in 1963, and it is dedicated to helping children around the world.
According to AMADE, there are over 800,000 Burundi children who are orphaned and live in intense poverty due to HIV/AIDS.
Since April 2008, a team of three organizations – the Princely Government of Monaco, Fight Aids Monaco, AMADE Burundi and AMADE Mondiale – have vowed to help the needy Burundi children.
This is done by giving medical treatment to those living with AIDS, reducing the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child and giving orphans and vulnerable children access to basic services, such as medical attention, professional training and restoration of social houses.
This project is go on until 2010. By then, the amount of funds is believed to total close to 1 million Euros.
To learn more about AMADE, click here
A recent report says 42 percent of pregnant women in Swaziland are infected with the HIV virus. 
That is a 3 percent increase from last year.
Activists are pointing the finger at Swaziland’s absolute monarch, King Mswati III, for doing little to prevent the increase by promoting safe sex and HIV testing. They also say he sends the wrong message by having 13 wives.
“The nation, especially polygamous men, look up to the monarch,” said Sphiwe Hlophe, who runs a support group called Swaziland Positive Living.
The tiny kingdom located in southern Africa, has the highest AIDS rate in the world, and life expectancy is only at 37 years.
What little Swaziland does do is promote male circumcision, which can reduced HIV chances by 60 percent. But there are fears that this might backfire by making men more complacent and more likely to have unprotected sexual intercourse.
Swaziland also has made strides in preventing the transmission of HIV from mother to child. In 2003, only 5 percent of women infected with HIV got drugs to protect their unborn babies. This increased to 67 percent in 2007, according to a report prepared by UNICEF, the World Health Organization, UNAIDS and the U.N. Population Fund.
Crown Princess Mette-Marit won Norway’s Plussprisen prize for her efforts to combat HIV/AIDS. The prize – announced in connection with World AIDS day – was awarded by the Norwegian group HivNorway that was formed to safeguard the rights and interests of people infected and affected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
 The princess is a goodwill ambassador for the joint United Nations program, UNAIDS.
Mette-Marit shared the prize with Ragnhild Backstrom, who has worked to prevent discrimination against HIV-positive children.
The Crown Princess spent World AIDS Day in Oslo, meeting with children and telling them to be leaders of the future. The theme for Norway’s World AIDS Day was taking responsibility for one’s actions.
“We need national and global leaders to fulfill its commitment to ensure universal access to prevention, treatment and care,” the crown princess said, according to www.side2.no.
“But today, 26 years after the virus was discovered, we must also secure leadership for the future. We need young people to follow up and intensify effort stop and reverse the spread of HIV. In my AIDS-related work, I meet remarkable young people who have energy, courage and endurance to address the sensitive question and put pressure on? those in power,” she added.
Mette-Marit, along with husband Crown Prince Haakon, has travelled to Canada and Nicaragua as UNAIDS ambassadors. Earlier this year, Mette-Marit went to Ukraine to meet with those living with HIV, but suffered a concussion and could not carry out the plans.
Some 3,000 people live with HIV in Norway.
The Plussprisen Award has been awarded since 1997 with Britain’s Sir Elton John a recipient in 1998.
The Princess of Morocco arrived in Dakar for the 15th annual International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA). 
Lalla Salma was welcomed by the first lady of the Senegal, Viviane Wade, several women members of the government and Senegalese parliament, the ambassador of the Morocco to Dakar, Mr. Moha Ouali Tagma and by members of the committee of organization of ICASA.
The Princess – who is the wife of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI – will attend the opening of this lecture, that gathers eminent scientists, Nobel Prize winners and researchers that will lean themselves during several days on the means of preventing and fighting against AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.
Princess Lalla Salma will equally participate in the meeting of the first ladies of Africa devoted to the response to HIV.
Africa, especially in the Sub-Saharan region, is ravaged by AIDS and HIV. It is estimated that there are 10 million children in Africa who have been orphaned by the disease.
Morocco, meanwhile, is estimated to have 19,000 people suffering from AIDS/HIV, according to UNICEF.
On the eve of the conference, Senegal’s chapter of Save the Children urged governments to keep fighting AIDS/HIV despite the global financial crisis.
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